Survey Says: Music Can Ease Pain for Many

Posted on Oct 29, 2013

According to a recent survey by Lloyds Pharmacy group in England, over 40% of people claim that listening to music can help alleviate chronic aches and pains. The impact appears to be even greater for younger people, with two out of three people in the 16-to-24 age bracket claiming that music helps with their pain.

A few different genres are popular among those surveys, including pop (21%), classical (17%) and indie (16%). The following five songs were cited as being most helpful to those with chronic pain:

Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon and Garfunkel)

Angels (Robbie Williams)

Albatross (Fleetwood Mac)

Candle In The Wind (Elton John)

Easy (The Commodores)

Lloyds surveyed over 1,500 people with persistent pain, and they estimate that 10 million Britons experience some pain on most days.

These findings will hopefully give physicians another arrow in their quiver when combating chronic pain. As an easy-to-implement therapy, it would be easy for doctors to encourage patients to listen to music while still engaging with their other, more traditional treatments.

David Bradshaw, a Research Assistant Professor at The University of Utah Pain Management Center said: "People in pain should try to find some activity to get fully engaged in.

"Listening to favourite music is excellent for that because it can involve both thoughts and feelings."